Bring Me To Life
by Doctor Addison Montgomery
Summary: NeilAndrea: Pre Feb 2005. Neil doesn’t know that Andrea’s an undercover journalist and when this secret is revealed will the DI run back to his wife or will he stick with Andrea through thick and thin? Please review! V x
1. Coming Clean

**Bring Me To Life  
****Chapter 1 : Coming Clean**

**Summary**: Pre Feb 2005. Neil doesn't know that Andrea's an undercover journalist and when this secret is revealed will the DI run back to his wife or will he stick with Andrea through thick and thin?  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Bill, any of the characters or the song Bring Me To Life by Evanescence.

* * *

Andrea felt herself glow with pride as she walked up the aisle. Her wavy brown hair was elegantly piled into a bun at the nape of her neck and a diamanté tiara was placed on top of her head. Her father's arm was linked through hers and her train flowed back to where her bridesmaids were following. The only person she could she before her was him; the man of her dreams; the love of her life.

Andrea's father left his daughter with the vicar and Neil. The soon to be bride and groom dutifully repeated their vows, smiling insanely as they did so. They could barely wait to start their married life together.

The vicar turned to the congregation of friends, family, colleagues and superiors.

"Does anybody have any objections to the marriage of Andrea Natalie Dunbar and Neil Andrew Manson? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

There was a barely audible murmuring of agreement and people smiled at the couple. Just as the vicar was about to proceed there was the sound of a heavy door slamming followed by the click on heels on the church's stone floor.

"I object." A woman's voice called out, pointing a finger at Andrea accusingly. Neil and his bride wore similar expressions of horror but things were only going to get worse. It was Philippa Manson. "You can't marry them! She's an undercover journalist; she's a liar."

Andrea felt her eyes glaze over with tears, she risked taking a look at Neil, his own eyes were filled with betrayal and hurt.

* * *

With a shudder Andrea Dunbar woke up from her dream in a cold sweat. She looked up and saw that Neil was already up and was buttoning his pale blue work shirt. He looked over when he noticed that Andrea had woken up. 

"Morning." He said brightly, smiling at her. This only made Andrea's guilt worsen.

Andrea forced a smile and turned to look at the display on her bedside clock. It was six thirty.

"Are you going to work already?" She asked Neil, her tone was cold but she didn't mean for it to be.

Neil looked up. "I'm going back home to get some things and then I'm going to work." He tied his tie around his neck. "I thought we talked about this last night."

"Oh yeah." Andrea said with a half hearted smile before making her escape to the bathroom.

Neil watched her leave the room and wondered why she was acting so strangely. Shrugging it off he continued getting dressed.

* * *

In the bathroom, Andrea ran a deep, hot bath and poured in her favourite apricot bubble bath. She let the sound of the running water block out any other thoughts. She had thought about coming clean to Neil hundreds of times but they had never had anything more than an affair until recently. That was until, late one night, Neil had told Andrea that he was in love with her. It had come as a surprise to her to say the least. Andrea knew that although Neil loved his young son Jake very much he didn't love his wife anymore. Andrea had felt guilty countless times but she knew how damaging Neil's affair would be to Jake if anyone ever found out. Andrea had had no intention of anyone ever knowing about her and Neil and the dream had shaken her up. The last person she wanted to face right now was Neil...or Bruce.

* * *

Bruce Malcolm sipped a black coffee in the cafe opposite Sun Hill. The cafe had only just opened and he was the only customer. Bruce opened the newspaper and smiled as he saw his name in print on the second page of the tabloid. He looked up and saw a waitress approaching his table.

"Can I get you anything else sir?"

Bruce looked up and smiled at her. "Katie, I haven't seen you for a while?"

The blonde waitress suddenly recognised Bruce.

"Oh, no I suppose not, hi."

Bruce increased his smile. "I'll have a bacon sarnie and chips please Kate."

Katie scribbled down the order onto a notepad, her relief was obvious.

She forced a smile back and left as quickly as possible making sure that someone else served Bruce Malcolm his breakfast.

* * *

Andrea's mood and the state of nerves hadn't improved much by the time she arrived at work, in fact she felt worse. She had given Neil and icy goodbye and now her guilt was a hundred times worse, the hurt in his eyes was almost too much to bear. The last thing she wanted was for Bruce Malcolm to appear behind her even if he was holding a very welcome container of coffee. Andrea took the drink from Bruce without even a grateful smile, she suppressed the urge to throw it at him. 

"What do you want Malcolm?" She asked.

"Another story." He stated simply.

"Too bad." Andrea spat back. "You'll have to wait."

"I'm tired of waiting Andrea." Bruce told her, starting to get angry.

Andrea was about to speak again when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she spun around to come face to face with Neil.

"Hey," He greeted Andrea, then looked from her to Bruce and back. "And who's this?" He asked.

"DI Manson, this is Bruce Malcolm he's a journalist with the Sun Hill Star."

Neil nodded although he didn't quite understand, however he knew better than to let on that he and Andrea had more than a working relationship.

"Right nice to meet you. Don't be late for work PC Dunbar."

Bruce looked between Neil and Andrea in surprise. Would this be his big break, an undercover journalist and a detective inspector in love affair shocker? He could see it now but he'd have to make sure he got the evidence first.

"So he's your DI then?" Bruce asked.

Andrea nodded. "Yeah, and?"

Bruce shook his head, an annoying grin spreading across his lips.

"Nothing, nothing."

Andrea was instantly suspicious, she turned her back on him and strode off in the direction of Sun Hill Police Station wondering how her day could possibly get worse.

* * *

**_Another new fic, yes I've done it again! I hope you like this fic, I'll update as frequently as I can and hopefully I'll have more time over Easter! Please review! I'd love to know what you think and your ideas! Luv, Vikki xxx_**


	2. Lost In Thought

**Bring Me To Life  
****Chapter 2 : Lost In Thought**

At the briefing Andrea was paired up to work with Smithy for the day. Things had been awkward between them since their very short romance before Christmas. Andrea liked Smithy a lot but sometimes you were better off just being friends with someone. Being with Smithy had made her realise that,even though there were more complications than you could ever imagine, Neil was the one that she really wanted and needed to be with. It seemed like fate was well and truly against this morning as Gina Gold read out the partners for the day. Conversation between Smithy and Andrea was limited, they both felt guilty for using each other because they couldn't be with the people they really cared about. Sometimes Andrea forgot that it was only four months since Kerry had been killed in Smithy's arms. In Sun Hill time seemed to move differently to anywhere else. The only piece of luck that had come Andrea's way was that she and Smithy were assigned to the patrol car. It was a freezing early February morning and the last thing Andrea wanted was to spend the entire morning patrolling the streets in the bitterly cold wind. At their refs break Smithy and Andrea made extra strong coffee in the canteen before Honey and Leela came rushing in.

"There's been a accident on Canley High Street." Honey said, stumbling over her words in her rush to get them out. "The victim is Bruce Malcolm and he's been asking to see you. He's in St Hughes as the moment."

Andrea swallowed her hot coffee painfully. She pushed her chair back, not looking at Honey.

"I'll take you there." Smithy said gently. He was being sensitive thinking that maybe Bruce was a boyfriend or an old friend of some sort. Andrea found his sensitivity touching but it only added to the mountain of guilt that had been building up all day, especially when she thought about Neil.

"Thanks." She said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine on my own."

Smithy wasn't giving in that easily.

"Are you sure Andrea? I'd be happy to take you."

"I appreciate it Smithy, I really do but I would prefer to go on my own."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

"Bye Smithy." She said, waving to Honey and Leela before leaving the station and heading for St Hughes.

* * *

By the time Andrea arrived at St Hughes Bruce had already been moved to another ward. His injury wasn't serious but they wanted to keep him in for observation until the following day. When Andrea walked onto his ward he was reading a newspaper. Andrea noticed it as the newspaper that she and Bruce both wrote for. 

"Andrea." He said, smiling but it did not reach his cold eyes.

"Bruce." She replied, her tone was cool. She did not sit down but was grateful of the height advantage she had. "I got a message that you wanted to see me."

"Yes I did, I spoke to a rather nice sounding officer, I didn't reach the lovely Detective Inspector Manson." Bruce said with a smirk.

Andrea didn't respond, she knew better than that. Bruce would have a field day if he found out about her affair with Neil, that was unless he didn't already know.

"No, he's probably too senior to deal with a reporter requesting a visitor at the hospital." Andrea replied sarcastically after a moment.

Bruce smiled again. "Nice comeback."

Nothing more was said until Andrea asked. "So if you don't want a verbal sparring match then why did you ask me to come here?"

Bruce pursed his lips together. "I want to expose you." He said slowly as if he was still thinking about it. "I want to do it this week."

Andrea couldn't believe it. She expected to at least have another few months before she need to worry about her exposure. That would give her time to tell Neil but how was she going to be able to tell him and prepare him in the next week?

"Wait a minute Bruce." Andrea said, deep in thought. "Are you sure this is the right time?"

Bruce gave a short laugh. "Don't try that one on me Andrea, I may have hit my head but I was thinking about this before the accident. It's the right time, it's now or never."

Andrea didn't like to point out that she preferred the never option out of the two but she didn't think that Bruce would appreciate that.

"Fine. And what if I get you a better story than that?"

Bruce suddenly looked interested. "There's a better story than that?"

Andrea shrugged, so much for thinking on her feet. The only story bigger than her working as an undercover journalist was the fact that the Detective Inspector was having an affair with her.

"Well if you think of anything don't hesistate to call me." Bruce said, with the smile that often meant he knew more than he was letting on.

* * *

Andrea turned and walked away without a 'goodbye' or a 'get well soon'. She was still lost in thought as she walked out of Bruce's ward. In the main corridor she walked into someone and looked up to apologise. 

"I'm so sorry." She said. "Neil!" She exclaimed when she realised who it was. "Sorry sir."

"That's okay PC Dunbar." He said with a gentle smile. "Don't make a habit of it!"

Andrea smiled, she hadn't realised how much she missed him. They had parted on a bad note than morning and she wanted to make it up to him but now wasn't the time or place.

"I'll see you later yeah?" Andrea said hopefully.

"Of course, I'll pop round after work." He said the last part quietly, as Andrea had proved you never knew quite who you'd bump into in the corridors of St Hughes.

Andrea smiled and left the hospital before Smithy sent out a search party. She felt her guilt getting stronger as she realised how much the truth was going to hurt Neil. She would tell him tonight, she owed it to the both of them.

* * *

**_Sorry that it's taken me longer than I expected to post the second chapter of this fic! More should be up soon because I'm on Easter Holidays! Thanks for reviewing, please keep leaving comments and ideas on what you'd like to happen. Luv, Vikki x_**


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